"True Grit," Golden Globes lead Oscar losers

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - “True Grit” was left in the dust at the Oscars on Sunday, failing to win a single prize despite receiving 10 nominations.

It marked the worst performance by a film at the Academy Awards since 2003, when “Gangs of New York” also went zero for 10.

The Coen brothers’ western remake was a major box office hit but was never much of a contender during awards season. Its prominence in the Oscar race just behind newly crowned champion “The King’s Speech,” nominated in 12 categories, was a surprise.

Among the less fortunate “True Grit” nominees, cinematographer Roger Deakins was seeking his first Oscar on his ninth attempt. He was beaten by four-time contender Wally Pfister for “Inception.”

Other leading films frozen out of the winners’ circle included “127 Hours” with six nominations, and “The Kids Are All Right” and “Winter’s Bone” with four each.

Among actors, “The Kids Are All Right” star Annette Bening was snubbed for the fourth time since 1991, losing on Sunday to best actress front-runner Natalie Portman for “Black Swan.”

“Inception” filmmaker Christopher Nolan, whose omission from the best director race was one of the biggest shocks when the nominations were announced last month, received a pair of nods in other categories. But while the sci-fi saga ended up with four prizes, his name was never called out.

GOLDEN GLOBES LOSE LUSTER

Meanwhile, next year’s winner of the top Golden Globe can probably kiss its Oscar chances goodbye.

For the sixth time in seven years, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s pick for best drama failed to win the corresponding best picture prize at the Academy Awards.

The unlucky picture this time was Facebook drama “The Social Network,” which was hailed by critics’ groups earlier during awards season but overtaken by “The King’s Speech” in the home stretch as Hollywood’s guilds weighed in at their various awards shows.

The Golden Globes often are hailed as a key Oscars barometer despite a very small votership of about 80 critics for largely obscure foreign outlets. The Oscars, by contrast, are determined by about 6,000 movie professionals.

“The King’s Speech,” ended up with four statuettes out of 12 nominations — for best picture, director, actor and original screenplay. It marks the lowest tally for a best picture Oscar winner since the Coens’ “No Country For Old Men” also won four awards in 2009.

All was not lost for “The Social Network.” It won three prizes, beating “King’s Speech” in two races. In one of them, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and fellow composer Atticus Ross won the original score prize on their first try, beating four-time nominee Alexandre Desplat.